Rotative and swingable golf tee



Dec; 20, 1966 T. B. RUSSELL 3,292,929

ROTATIVE AND SWINGrABLE GOLF TEE Filed June 10, 1964 1 INVENTOR.jTHEoooRE B. RUSSELL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,292,929 ROTATIVEAND SWINGABLE GOLF TEE Theodore B. Russell, 2190 NE. 124th St., NorthMiami, Fla. 33132 Filed June 10, 1964, Ser. No. 373,960 4 Claims. (Cl.273-203) This invention relates to a collapsible and adjustable golf teeof the type that is relatively permanent and that may be convenientlyand easily collapsed to fit within the pocket of the user.

The invention contemplates a golf tee that is rotationally mounted uponthe end of a rod and with the rod being pivotally connected to acoupling device and with the coupling device also pivotally receiving aground stake, whereby the ground stake may be forced into the ground toanchor the tee and to hold the tee against being accidentally projectedby a golf club.

The invention further contemplates a golf tee of generally cylindricalform having a flattened side portion and with the side portion and thetop of the tee being semi-cylindrically recessed for the reception of agolf ball and with the tee being frictionally rotatable upon asupporting rod so that the tee may either support the ball at aconventional elevation or, when the tee is swung in an arc ofsubstantially 90 degrees, the recess upon the side will constitute arest for the golf ball at a lower elevation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a head for the rod havinga flat upper surface and with the rod being pivotally supported withinthe head and a ground stake of serpentine shape being also pivotallysupported within the head to be swung downwardly and forced into theground by holding a golf ball and pressing downwardly on the fiat faceof the head and the serpentine ground stake retards the withdrawal ofthe stake from the ground but also permits lateral movement of the rodand the supported tee for proper positioning of the ball with respect tothe player.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be moreclearly apparent during the course of the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has beenillustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like charactersof reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the severalfigures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a golf tee constructed in accordancewith the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view thereof,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on line 4-4 ofFIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a rear end elevation of a supporting head, and

FIGURE 6 is a section taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been provided arelatively rigid rod 5, having one end bent to form an eye 6. The eye 6is pivotally supported within a head 7, by a bolt 8. Lying closely tothe eye 6 and frictionally engaged therewith, is a second eye 9, alsopivotally supported upon the bolt 8 and the eye 9 carries a ground stake10 that is serpentine in shape as illustrated at 11 and with theterminal end of the stake having a sharpened point 12. The eyes 6 and 9are supported within the head 7 and the head 7 is generally U- shaped intransverse section, having a flat upper surface 13 and downwardlyextending side walls 14. The side walls 14 at the rear end of the headare bent inwardly as indicated at 15 to constitute a stop for the stake10 in its operative position. The stake 10 is swingable in ice an arctoward the rod 5 and, as shown in FIGURE 1 in dotted lines, the stake 10in the collapsed position lies substantially parallel to the rod 5 andwhereby the apparatus may be placed within the pocket of a user.

Mounted upon the opposite end of the rod 5, is a preferably plasticcylindrical tee 16. The tee at one end is provided with asemi-cylindrical recess 17 for the seating support of a golf ball. Therod 5 extends through the tee 16 and the tee 16 is roatable upon the rod5 and frictionally held by stops 18 and friction washer 19, as clearlyshown, one side of the tee 16 is flattened as at20 and the flattenedside is provided with a semi-cylindrical recess 21, constituting a restfor the golf ball when the tee is swung to an angle of degrees thussupporting the golf ball at a lower elevation from the ground that maybe desirable in certain drives from the tee. The friction washers 19,between the tee 16 and the stops 18 support the tee in either positionof adjustment and the rod 5, as pivotally supported within the head 7,is limited in its pivotal movement by the flat top 13 and also limitedagainst downward swinging movement with respect to the head 7 by one ofthe tongues 15, bent from one side wall 14 to extend under the rod 5thus, maintaining the head 7 in a relatively fixed position with respectto the rod.

In the use of the device, when a golf ball is to be driven from a tee,the stake 10 is swung downwardly to a point substantially at a rightangle to the rod 5 and a golf ball is then held in the hand and engage-dwith the flat surface 13 of the head 7 to constitute a convenient meansto force the stake into the ground and this is particularly useful wherethe ground is hard, such condition prevailing in cold weather and withrespect to various types of soil. With the stake 10 forced into theground to the point where the side walls 14 engage the ground, the rod 5is supporting the tee 16 in a correct position and the golf ball may beplaced within the recess 17 and driven as is customary by a golf club.Should the golf club strike the side of the tee 16, the rod 5 may beswung laterally since the stake 10 permits of such movement and thestake 10 also prevents the tee from being driven away from the area.Should the player desire a lower elevation for the ball, the tee 16 isswung laterally upon the rod 5, placing the flat side 20 upwardly andthe recess 21 then constituting the rest for the golf ball at a reducedelevation from the ground. The tee 16 is formed of any suitable plasticmaterial not likely to be damaged when a golf club is engaged therewith.The other parts of the device including the rod 5, the head 7 and thestake 10 are formed of a material calculated to withstanding corrosion.The two eyes 6 and 9 are frictionally supported with respect to eachother and with respect to the side walls 14.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel golf tee hasbeen employed. The structure is relatively permanent and avoids thenecessity of employing the old and well known wood or plastic tees and,since the stake 10 is swingable to lie against the side of the rod 5,the device may be easily engaged within the pocket of the user. Thedevice is strong, cheap to manufacture and most effective as a permanenttype golf tee.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A golfing tee of the character described comprising an elongatedrigid rod having an eye at one end and with the eye being pivotallysupported within a head of U- shape, having a flat upper surface, aground stake also having an eye disposed within the head and infrictional engagement with the eye of the rod, the head having rightangle flanges, a bolt extending through the flanges and the eyes andwith the eyes also having frictional contact with the flanges, theground stake being formed serpentine intermediate its length and withthe lower end being sharpened, the ground stake being at right angle tothe rod and swingable to be disposed alongside the rod, the opposite endof the rod being provided with a plastic tee head that is pivotallysupported upon the rod and whereby the tee head may be swung in an arcof 90 degrees, the tee head having a semi-cylindrical recess upon itsstop and a semi-cylindrical recess Within a side wall, stops formed uponthe rod and friction washers between the stops and opposite side wallsof the tee to frictionally maintain the tee in either an uprightposition or a horizontal position to vary the degree of elevation of therecesses from the ground.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the tee head iscylindrical, having a flat bottom and a flat top and with the top beingprovided with the recess, one side of the tee being formed flat andprovided with the said second recess, the recesses adapted to form arest for a golf ball in either position of adjustment of the tee head.

3. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the U-shaped head has itsflanges bent inwardly at an angle to form a stop for the ground stakeand whereby the ground stake is limited in its swinging movement todispose the stake substantially at a right angle to the rod,

1 in the path of movement of the eye of the rod, the flat the inwardlybent corners of one flange being disposed the stake is inserted in theground, a rod pivoted at one end in the head and projecting laterallyfrom the stake,- a tee pivotal at one end of the rod on a pivot disposedat right angles to the pivot for the stake, said tee consisting of anelongated block with its pivot located adjacent to one of its ends, theblock having a ball-receiving recess in its end remote from its pivotand also having a second ball-receiving recess in its side and adjacentto its pivot whereby a pivotal movement of the block can selectivelyposition either ball-receiving recess uppermost and by the dispositionof the selected. recess locate the ball supported thereby at differentpositions above the ground. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,595,130 8/1926Wilcox 273204 1,901,948 3/1933 Bock 273-202 2,107,706 2/ 1938 Morgan273203 1 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiner.

4. A GOLF TEE COMPRISING, A STAKE FOR INSERTION INTO THE GROUND, ACHANNEL-SHAPED HEAD IN WHICH SAID STAKE IS PIVOTED AT ONE END ON AN AXISPARALLEL TO THE GROUND WHEN THE STAKE IS INSERTED IN THE GROUND, A RODPIVOTED AT ONE END IN THE HEAD AND PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM THE STAKE,A TEE PIVOTAL AT ONE END OF THE ROD ON A PIVOT DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLESTO THE PIVOT FOR THE STAKE, AND TEE CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATED BLOCKWITH ITS PIVOT LOCATED ADJACENT TO ONE OF ITS ENDS, THE BLOCK HAVING ABALL-RECEIVING RECESS IN ITS END REMOTE FROM ITS PIVOT AND ALSO HAVING ASECOND BALL-RECEIVING RECESS IN ITS SIDE AND ADJACENT TO ITS PIVOTWHEREBY A PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE BLOCK CAN SELECTIVELY POSITION EITHERBALL-RECEIVING RECESS UPPERMOST